Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • Home
    • About Us
    • Digital Subscription
    • Advertisement
    • Contact Us
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    The Tennessee TribuneThe Tennessee Tribune
    Advertise With Us
    • Home
      • COVID-19 Resource Center
        • Dr. Henry Louis Gates’ PSA Radio
      • Featured
    • News
      • State
      • Local
      • National/International News
      • Global
      • Business
        • Commentary
        • Finance
        • Local Business
      • Investigative Stories
        • Affordable Housing
        • DCS Investigation
        • Gentrification
    • Editorial
      • National Politics
      • Local News
      • Local Editorial
      • Political Editorial
      • Editorial Cartoons
      • Cycle of Shame
    • Community
      • History
      • Tennessee
        • Chattanooga
        • Clarksville
        • Knoxville
        • Memphis
      • Public Notices
      • Women
        • Let’s Talk with Ms. June
    • Education
      • College
        • American Baptist College
        • Belmont University
        • Fisk
        • HBCU
        • Meharry
        • MTSU
        • University of Tennessee
        • TSU
        • Vanderbilt
      • Elementary
      • High School
    • Lifestyle
      • Art
      • Auto
      • Tribune Travel
      • Entertainment
        • 5 Questions With
        • Books
        • Events
        • Film Review
        • Local Entertainment
      • Family
      • Food
        • Drinks
      • Health & Wellness
      • Home & Garden
      • Featured Books
    • Religion
      • National Religion
      • Local Religion
      • Obituaries
        • National Obituaries
        • Local Obituaries
      • Faith Commentary
    • Sports
      • MLB
        • Sounds
      • NBA
      • NCAA
      • NFL
        • Predators
        • Titans
      • NHL
      • Other Sports
      • Golf
      • Professional Sports
      • Sports Commentary
      • Metro Sports
    • Media
      • Video
      • Photo Galleries
      • Take 10
      • Trending With The Tribune
    • Classified
    • Obituaries
      • Local Obituaries
      • National Obituaries
    The Tennessee TribuneThe Tennessee Tribune
    Tennessee

    MTSU Police Chief Buddy Peaster Retires After 14 Years of Campus Service

    Article submittedBy Article submittedJune 2, 2021No Comments3 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram Pinterest Tumblr Reddit Email
    Buddy Pester, police chief at Middle Tennessee State University, pictured here with a police cruiser at the department on May 28, 2021, recently retired after a 14-year tenure of protecting and serving the campus community. (MTSU photo by J. Intintoli)
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
    MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — MTSU Police Chief Buddy Peaster did not always have a burning desire to be a law enforcement officer. His career in the field began while he was going to college for education to become a teacher and needed a job. 
    “I put in an application to work part-time as a student at the college police department,” Peaster said. “That’s how I got my start.” 
    The Georgia native joined MTSU’s police department as chief of police in April 2006. At the of May, Peaster ended his 14-year tenure overseeing the safety and security of the True Blue campus and began a life in retirement after 38 years in law enforcement. 
    “I’ve been honored to play a part,” Peaster said of his MTSU tenure. “I’ve been a part of a department that has at its core a number of tremendous individuals whose dedication to doing the best they can for others is surpassed by no one. Plenty of media space has been taken up with police stories of tragedy and wrongdoing; not nearly enough attention has been paid to the large number of our staff who tirelessly and ceaselessly continue to perform and sacrifice…. 
    “I am very proud of the job that our staff has done.” 
    While acknowledging the current tense environment surrounding American policing, Peaster said he believes that the key forward for the University Police Department is top tier leadership and the direction of higher education. 
    “Both of those things will be critical in what the department looks like in five years and beyond,” he said. 
    Peaster reflected that most chiefs of police have a time in which they can be most effective and deliver the right things to the department and to the campus community. 
    “Chiefs of Police need to keep tabs on their effectiveness inside and outside the department,” Peaster said. “I have heard more than one law enforcement professional talk about how he or she knew someone who stayed in a chief’s role too long, and the chief didn’t even realize it…. I didn’t want that for the department, for MTSU or for me.” 
    Peaster left his staff with some words of wisdom. 
    “For any of our staff — or really anyone, I would say to identify your purpose as a uniquely created individual; then, do everything you need to do to fulfill that purpose,” he said. 
    MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee recently appointed Kevin Williams to serve as interim chief of police while the university conducts a national search for a permanent leader. 
    Williams has had a long and successful career, serving as police chief on campuses across the country among other positions. He seeks to influence MTSU’s department in its continued adoption of 21st century policing. 
    “This specifically includes mastering navigation within the 2021 climate of police, community relations and discourse,” Williams said. “These are perceived to be difficult times. However, as police officers, we do not need to view this as overwhelming because we work in an academic setting that allows us to partner with our students and MTSU’s world-class instructors and professors.” 
    MTSU Police is also currently hiring for entry-level officers to join their team and serve the campus community. For more information, visit the MTSU jobs website. 
    Stay connected to all campus safety and law enforcement updates by following MTSU police on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Article submitted

    Related Posts

    State’s new anti-DEI law ends minority business programs in Memphis

    August 16, 2025

    ACLU-TN Files Lawsuit in Response to Bartlett City Officials Blocking Mosque Construction

    July 27, 2025

    Tennessee Human Rights Commission Dissolved

    July 3, 2025

    Reverend Dr. Derrick Jackson Interim ABC President

    July 2, 2025

    ACLU-TN Files Lawsuit Challenging Criminalization of Local Officials’ Votes on Immigration Policies

    June 30, 2025

    TN Doctors Warn About Cuts to TennCare and SNAP Programs

    June 21, 2025

    Comments are closed.

    Advertisement
    Business

    NBCC MINORITY BUSINESS OF THE WEEK: Flying Dress

    August 20, 2025

    Toon appointed new role at MMCV

    August 16, 2025

    FARM BUREAU INSURANCE OF TENNESSEE CEO JEFF PANNELL ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

    August 11, 2025
    1 2 3 … 386 Next
    Education
    Education

    Fisk University Earns National Recognition for Commitment to First-Generation Student Success

    By Fisk UniversityAugust 17, 2025

    NASHVILLE, TN (August 5, 2025) – FirstGen Forward, formerly the Center for First-generation Student Success,…

    Dr. Belle Wheelan Retires, Leaving Southern Colleges Stronger and More Accountable

    August 17, 2025

    APSU’s Meisch named to Clarksville-Montgomery County IDB board of directors

    August 11, 2025

    Distinguished Educator and Author Joins Fisk University as Executive Director of John Lewis Center for Social Justice

    August 10, 2025
    The Tennessee Tribune
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    • About Us
    • Digital Subscription
    • Store
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact
    © 2025 The Tennessee Tribune - Site Designed by No Regret Media.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Our Spring Sale Has Started

    You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/